I am aiming for 1.5 pounds a week.  I want to fit a bikini on my vacation in Septemer.  Does anyone else have a similar goal?

Not a one, apparently.

I'd like to lose 20 lbs before my 10 year college reunion....in september.  1.5 lbs a week sounds healthy....I need motivation though.....I'm all talk and no action.

Mines not for a college vacation its for my last year of college :) (senior year to you, i'm guessing you're American anyway)  I'm aiming for 2lbs a week to gte back down to my original size, about 25lbs.

Wow, this is great, some people to be accountable to!  I am doing tae kwon do today for 45 minutes, it's a class that I paid for and therefore have to attend.  I am down 6 pounds from when I first posted this and I will say that a large portion of that weight coming off is from being responsible and logging my food.  I have 58 days until my vacation.

I am going to have to ramp up my workouts to see the results I want.  I have struggled with what weight I have lost, but have lost 6" in one month from the spots that I have measured.  What are you going to do today to get your body moving?  Just 8 minutes gets me started, that's all I have to commit to and I will end up doing more.

And yes, while I may be an American, I prefere to say that I am Alaskan as it is a world apart from the States.  My vacation is so that I can spend some much needed time with my husband.  We haven't had a real vacation away from kids and our business for at least 8 years!!! Thanks for responding!

Me!!

I am a bridesmaid at the end of October. I'm currently 158lbs and want to get down to 140.
I've only started calorie counting this week after discovering this site and have been running alot, as well as circuit training, spin and weights. My problem is that I go out with my single mates way too often and end up drinking and eating out a lot. I also struggle with portion size. 

I agree it would be good to check in with someone to keep the motivation going. What about a weigh in every week on a Friday?

Let me know if you're up for it!

Kate
(Sydney, Australia)

18 pounds is totally doable, but you'll have to give up the "friend calories" in the respect that you'll need to make other choices while with them, they are sure to understand your goals and support your effort.  I learned early on when adding my drinks to my food log, ouch! "D-" for gin and tonics....  There's got to be a better way, or better choices....!

Regarding the portion sizing, it will get easier as you log your food, you'll realize that you need to cut back on certain things and then the food analyser will give replacement suggestions, simple ways to tweek the sorts of calories that you eat.

And while I am interested in my "weight," I find that weighing in every week makes me anxious, while just encouraging others to post their workouts so that they create habits is more what I am looking for, accountability.  I am more interested in seeing my body measurement change because I have been soooo disappointed in how slow (1.5 pound/week feels painfully slow) my weight comes off, but am far more motivated by my inches coming off.  Does that make sense?

Man, I can't wait to be one hot mama, even though my husband says I am, I am somewhat skeptical....

What can you do today that will get your heart rate up for just 20 minutes?  Where are the activity opportunities?

Some of the simplest things that I do is park far from where I am going to and walk more, and I take the stairs, or walk my kids to and from places (our town is pretty small) or I sign up for local classes, such as my tae kwon do class, best thing I ever did with my kids! I sign up to do activities with them, my daughter I skate with.

hello! I totally understand about the weigh in. I've never really been a weigher either. More of a "how are my clothes fitting" dieter.

You're right about logging food to control portion size. So far it seems to be working for me! Fell off the wagon on the weekend again though. Not much to eat but plenty to drink. Still, I managed to opt for vodka over beer so felt a bit better about that.

I'm definitely walking more and taking stairs etc. I feel like I've lost weight already and have already had postive comments from people. Just gotta keep the momentum up.
How long have you been a member of this site for??

PS. Tae Kwon Do is brilliant for calorie burning. I've also been doing split weights/cardio session (weights first) for maximum calorie burning. Seems to work!

I have been only doing this for a month and a week, but I have been in the process of transformation since December 2006.  I've done this slowly, but I had got the point where I wasn't seeing results doing it by myself and went in search of web-tools. Then I found this site and I am back on my wagon.  It has truely put me to task for my eating choices and drinking also!

I ran today for 2.75 miles first thing this morning, didn't have time for more, but did a new personal best for my mile time.  I plan on doing the tae kwon do warmup later, plus some hand weight for my upper body.  What are you doing today?

I have been training for a 5k that happens this weekend, I am very excited, nothing like a road race to inspire your workouts, do you have any ambitions to join a race?  It is fantastic motivation....  I have these Nike shoes with a sensor in them that works with my iPod Nano which I use to train for my race, I will run "The Human Race" August 31st, a 10K, also.

Let me know what you doing for fitness today and what your goals are eating! Talk to you soon.

Hi there! It's great to hear what good strides you've been making! I'm at 150 right now and would like to get down to 135ish (it really depends on how much muscle I build, too). I'm looking at losing 5-7 pounds per month, hopefully! When I was in the best shape of my life, I weighed about 140 lbs... I wasn't skinny -- I never will be -- but I was rock solid! That physical shape would be nice to get back to, but I'm trying not to have unrealistic expectations.

I've found that I have been hanging out at this weight for a couple of years -- less activity, and a lot more snacking. My biggest problem is also the "friend calories". I am trying to do a cardio work-out (running or elliptical) 4-5 times per week, and then I'm using Jillian Michael's Making the Cut to try to build muscle. I'm excited to get back in shape, and to have some other people to help me stay motivated and to keep me from lapsing into the old routine.

I have a wedding in CA to attend next week, so I'm not sure how well the exercise and watching what I eat is going to go, but I'll give it my best shot!!!

Are you doing any weights or strength training in addition to the cardio? What work-out schedule has worked best for you?

hello there i would like to lose 20lbs...i am also 158 and would like to weigh 140 ....i would like to wear a bathing suit by the end of summmer thats my ultimate goal just to be really fit  totally toned....

astevens......1.5 lbs week sounds good im always trying for 2 but i think ill try 1.5 seems more realistic .....thats cool your going to do the human race have u did any other races before ? i would like to someday do that ...i bet it would feel like a great accomplishment and meet new people .....

chispaluz ..how do u like that jillian micheals ? i wanted to try that 30 day shred

recenetly i  just started pilates and i love it soo i do that 3 times a week then like kate said  i always park far away furthest spot available ....and stairs rather then elevator ....i also just do weights 3 times week ...

ive lost 20 lbs before like 2 years ago with alot of work and dedication it took me 3 months..then like a dum a  i gained it back in a month :/  i went to vegas for a week and  atee and didnt work out then when i got home i stopped working out and eating like anything i wanted  and bam it was back! argh i could kick my self sooo now i know um u cant just do it for a while its a lifestyle hello !! my problem is chocolate and snacking when im stressed ugh! ...but thats why i signed up for cc figured i could do this instead of eat ... i  dunno but anyways  what types of foods do yall eat??? 

Original Post by chispaluz:

Hi there! It's great to hear what good strides you've been making! I'm at 150 right now and would like to get down to 135ish (it really depends on how much muscle I build, too). I'm looking at losing 5-7 pounds per month, hopefully! When I was in the best shape of my life, I weighed about 140 lbs... I wasn't skinny -- I never will be -- but I was rock solid! That physical shape would be nice to get back to, but I'm trying not to have unrealistic expectations.

I've found that I have been hanging out at this weight for a couple of years -- less activity, and a lot more snacking. My biggest problem is also the "friend calories". I am trying to do a cardio work-out (running or elliptical) 4-5 times per week, and then I'm using Jillian Michael's Making the Cut to try to build muscle. I'm excited to get back in shape, and to have some other people to help me stay motivated and to keep me from lapsing into the old routine.

I have a wedding in CA to attend next week, so I'm not sure how well the exercise and watching what I eat is going to go, but I'll give it my best shot!!!

Are you doing any weights or strength training in addition to the cardio? What work-out schedule has worked best for you?

 I am like you, I weigh 140 ish and am in really good shape, very solid, but I am definitely carrying about 20 pounds of fat, I want it gone, I will probably never weigh less than 120, I don't look healthy if I do, large bone structure and all, it just sucks being short (5'1") husky.  You can check out my journal to see how I did in the race this last weekend, it was my first race ever and it was a real thrill to run the whole thing and cross a finish line.  The entry is called "OMG!"

Giving it your best shot is all you can ask for, just keep it up, my losing is slow and almost painful as I want the weight gone for good and I want to do it with real food and moving my body.  Jillian Micheals makes a lot of sense on this topic, where she states it is simple math, weight loss, you eat so much and you exercise so much and there is either a surplus or a deficit, although if someone was to religiously follow her program, they would definitely see an increase in fitness and muscle health.

I also do hand weights for upper body, all free weights, but the taekwondo that I do really has a great effect on the way my muscles look/work, also with all the calestenics in the warmup, pushups, jumping jacks, punches and running I feel like I am getting a good muscle workout every week.  My schedules is Sunday: running or hiking with the family, Monday: off, Tuesday: running and taekwondo, Wednesday: running, weights, Thursday: taekwondo, Friday: off, Saturday: running.  Right now I am trying to heal an injury where it limits my ability to jump and twist, so I don't show the skating that I usually do, about 10 hours a week.

Today was my day off and I stuck to my meal plan.  What are your plans?

hello there i would like to lose 20lbs...i am also 158 and would like to weigh 140 ....i would like to wear a bathing suit by the end of summmer thats my ultimate goal just to be really fit  totally toned....

astevens......1.5 lbs week sounds good im always trying for 2 but i think ill try 1.5 seems more realistic .....thats cool your going to do the human race have u did any other races before ? i would like to someday do that ...i bet it would feel like a great accomplishment and meet new people .....

chispaluz ..how do u like that jillian micheals ? i wanted to try that 30 day shred

recenetly i  just started pilates and i love it soo i do that 3 times a week then like kate said  i always park far away furthest spot available ....and stairs rather then elevator ....i also just do weights 3 times week ...

ive lost 20 lbs before like 2 years ago with alot of work and dedication it took me 3 months..then like a dum a  i gained it back in a month :/  i went to vegas for a week and  atee and didnt work out then when i got home i stopped working out and eating like anything i wanted  and bam it was back! argh i could kick my self sooo now i know um u cant just do it for a while its a lifestyle hello !! my problem is chocolate and snacking when im stressed ugh! ...but thats why i signed up for cc figured i could do this instead of eat ... i  dunno but anyways  what types of foods do yall eat??? 

18 pound is a totally do-able goal, you should be able to it! Get to moving, what are your plans in order to accomplish this?

I chose 1.5 pounds a week because I like to eat and I work out quite heavily, I tend to overtrain and I can't expect to loose 2 pounds a week long term as I get soooo hungry from working out all the time, so I just keep fueling my body.

I have just run my first race this last weekend so it's totally a new thing for me, and it was an amazing experience, really got me excited about running more.  My body has really started changing since I got running seriously in my schedule, and my husband is interested in doing it which an added bonus. I understand the "runner's high" now, and I keep wanting to feel it again!

Don't get down on what you've done in the past with regard to gaining weight back, if we don't have a plan, we tend to wander aimlessly! Having made a decision to take the weight back off and change your lifestyle for the better is a step in the right direction, just plot your course!  My course includes competing in a skate competition like one in the Oregon Games, running regular 5k's, and getting a black belt in taekwondo in the next two years.  What I have to do to reach those goals is make a commitment to myself.  What you are doing isn't for anyone but you, enjoy the journey, a fuel your body properly and you will get there!

yay i weighed  today and i lost 1.6 lbs i always do my weigh ins on monday i notice alot of people say they do theirs on friday ....i guess becuase the weekend lol .....i plan to accomplish this by  being consistent with my eating and workouts .i need to make workouts like a top priority like i wouldnt leave the house without brushing my teeth i shouldnt leave without working out lol... just signed up for tennis lessons ...would like to learn to play and possible meet new people to  play regularly .....i would like to start runnning when i was at the gym which i no longer have a membership id run on the treadmill well jog i guess it would be .....but in my neighborhood i try to jog now and then but its alot different outside then the gym lol any suggestions how to start  or where ? ive read alot u shouldnt run on pavement ...so where do you run? is there trails in ur area? i think running is like a great total body work out ...thats reall kool  your going skate in the competition ...have u ever thought about doing a triathalon? i just watched one the great escape from alcatraz im just amazed  and motivated like maybe one day i want to do that too ...i need to uite talking and do it ....thats kool your husband is gettin interested its always nice to have a workout buddy good support .....thanks for the nice words .....im sure yours will definetly come off faster seems like ur very active well keep up the good work ...

Yay, you are moving in the right direction! Keep up the good work!

Signing up for anything is a great motivator! If you pay out money, you had best get the most for your buck!  Tennis is highly cardio and if you look at the people who are serious about, you see some pretty athletic folks!

Do you have a high school anywhere near you? Most high schools have a track, some have rubberized one, and man are they amazing to run on.  The high school field here has a bark running path which is really nice also, very soft.  Thing about running outside is how you run on the surface, I have to modify my stride in order to run outside, otherwise I hurt...  but I have learned that I get fast results from running outside, my speed endurance increases and my body changes shape (look leaner), the treadmill is great for going long distance and increasing my ability to run longer, so I do both.

I have thought about a triathalon, I have other goals before that though, an 8k, a 10k, a 15k and a half marathon.  Then I'll probably progress to the triathalon, have to work on my biking as I am an offroader, and swimming (afraid of the ocean...)  but I am sure I will eventually get there, maybe in 5 years or so. Maybe I'll do the Ironman when I turn 45...  that seems like a reasonable goal...  thanks for the thought!

Hope to hear from you again, keep up the good work!

Congratulations on the race!  What you said about Jillian Michaels makes sense.  And it is just a matter of sticking to it.  My main goal is to restrict my diet a bit, but work out alot.  i have been doing cardio (elliptical or treadmill) 5 days/week, and I try to do circuit training from Making the Cut according to her schedule.  The problem is that i left the book down at my boyfriend's for a week, and I couldn't find a copy around here.  I took that opportunity to not work out.  Bad idea.  So I got the book back yesterday and my goal today is to do 30 minutes of interval on my elliptical and then about 45 minutes of the mixed weights and cardio that Jillian designed. 

i REALLY like the workouts that Jillian has in the Making the Cut.  Only problem is that I need to look up how to do them occasionally and I lose some of the time and heart rate that I'm trying to stick to.  It's really hard, too -- she works your butt off (literally, I hope), but you feel great afterwards.  i will tell you that the lunges and squats caused me some intense pain after the first couple of workouts!  I had felt muscle burn from free weights in years past, but this was so intense, I had to take an extra day off to recover.  It's important for me to listen to my body, but to adjust my workout so that I don't stop altogether. 

Keep up your good work!  I'm excited to hear about progress and your achievements!

It sounds like you are on the right track, keep it up.  I loved making the cut too, I just sent it to my mom in Japan, her screenname is kyashiis.  Keep making goals and you will make it!  Her book did a lot of good for me, I have years and years of experience weight lifting, but they way she did different moves combined with others was an inspiration! Lower body work is hard at first but as soon as you do it for a while then your body starts showing it's best, those are your biggest muscles, capable of burning the most calories of any muscles, so work'em baby! Having a strong lower body and core makes EVERYTHING easier! Especially running!  Remember though, that the most important muscle to work out is your heart, so cardio is of vast importance.  My goal today is to run my training route for the next 5k, and then taekwondo this afternoon... and stick to my meal plan.